News October 1st 2016

September was quiet on the performance front as I was on MU business in London and at TUC in Brighton as part of the union’s delegation. Stephy and I were out of the country a bit as well.

Things stay quiet for a wee while now with only one more public show to come in 2016. It has a special edge for me as it’s in my home-town of Cupar in Fife, at Watts, on Saturday October 15th.

It’ll be a different story in 2017, though, as I mark the year of my 70th birthday and the 50th anniversary of my first properly-billed, professional performance. These events are both in May but anniversary-related events, which will carry on throughout the year will kick-off in earnest with a major show in Glasgow. This will have a narrative, based around landmark songs, old and new.

Watch this space for more details.

As I’ve mentioned before, there’ll soon be a release of new material, a half-dozen songs triggered by the experience of 2015’s health issues.

Stephy and John Cavanagh spent a day in September mixing the tracks for what’ll be called The Treatment Tapes EP. The recordings were subsequently mastered by Denis Blackham.

Richy Lamb has been working on the sleeve with David Mach’s terrific bespoke artwork.

We’ll be signing everything off as soon as possible this month and it’ll be off to manufacture to stay on course for an official release date in January.